Alberta Liberals key on seniors with health care policyBack to video

What Khan is referring to is Alberta’s seniors population, which is soon to grow exponentially. The number of residents aged 65 or older is expected to more than double from almost 530,000 to over 1.1 million by 2040, according to the Government of Alberta.

“If you look at the demographic wave, it’s like a tsunami is approaching us,” said Khan.

“Not only will there be far more seniors requiring health care services than there have been in the past as a percentage of the population, but obviously the cost to provide health care to seniors is higher per capita because of their more complex health care needs.”

If elected, the Liberals have promised to invest $150 million into home care and assisted living and $100 million towards expanding preventative care, in addition to building 2,200 new long-term beds over the next four years.

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The Liberal party plans to commission a preventative health care task force to evaluate strategies that would reduce long-term costs without jeopardizing outcomes or access.

Khan said focusing on long-term care and home care would save Albertans money due to the high costs of acute care, which he said is about four times more expensive than home care and more than twice as expensive as long-term care. In doing so, acute care spaces would be freed up for priority patients.

There would also be emphasis on boosting community care.

The Liberals have promised 200 more long-term care beds than the New Democratic Party. Khan said the beds are critical health infrastructure needed to drive down long-term costs and meet people’s needs. Khan said his party would take advantage of non-profit, faith-based and private companies that build these beds for “half the cost.”

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He said voters should be concerned about the NDP’s and United Conservative Party’s health care platforms.

Khan said UCP Leader Jason Kenney is being “dismissive of health care spending” and that his plan to maintain spending will still result in health care cuts due to inflation and population growth. In terms of Rachel Notley’s government, he said the NDP “hasn’t done a whole lot to improve the health care system” when speaking about wait times.

The Liberal party will announce the other half of its health care platform this week, speaking about the larger health system and where it can save on administrative costs, improve wait times and more efficiently run hospital and emergency rooms.

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Khan said the party’s focus will be on education during the election campaign. If elected, the Liberals would reduce class sizes, advocate for inclusive education by ending seclusion or isolation in classrooms and provide additional funding for teachers aides to support special needs students.

Financially, the Liberals have also promised to reduce income taxes, cut the corporate tax by two per cent and introduce an eight-per-cent HST. The party will also grant new revenue-generating powers to Calgary and Edmonton and allow urban municipalities to veto or approve oil and gas drilling within their own boundaries.

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The Liberals have also released a variety of platform policies in relation to gender equality, Indigenous rights, social issues, energy and the economy.

This will be the second time Khan has gone head-to-head with Ganley after losing to her in the Calgary Buffalo riding during the last provincial election. Ganley switched ridings with Joe Ceci, and Khan is looking to succeed longtime Liberal MLA and former party leader David Swann, who served in the riding for 15 years.

“People are really happy with (Swann’s) representation of them and strong liberal leadership in the legislature,” said Khan. “They are really happy to see that I’m passionate about the same issues he is and will continue his good work in this legislature and continue advocating for the things that residents of Calgary-Mountain View really care about.”

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